Skip to main content
Beyond Charleston

Hidden Alleyways and Historic Sites Small-Group Walking Tour

Recommended by 98% of travelers
Charleston, USA
Viator Experience Award
High interest
Booked 5+ times today.
  • 2 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9
·
· Deborah_W ·
May 2026
David was an amazing guide!!! Loved the history and the stories, good humor and honesty about Charleston. Why wouldn’t you want a guide who grew up here and know everything about this wonderful city. Don’t miss this trip !! 5 stars!!!!
· Brenda_N ·
May 2026
So glad we did this tour. Coach Dugger made the history come alive. He pointed out courtyards and gardens plus landmark buildings. My family thanked me for choosing this tour. The only thing to note is that there is a lot of standing during the talks. Wear confortabke shoes and bring some water if it is a hot day.

Overview

Travel back in time to discover one of America’s most historic cities—Charleston, South Carolina—on this guided small-group walking tour. Explore some of the city’s most enchanting alleys and hidden passages. Visit the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, a colonial building with a 300-year history; Rainbow Row, the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States; plus historic Philadelphia Alley, and many more.
  • Visit one of America’s most historic cities
  • Enjoy an historic walking tour of Charleston
  • Visit the city’s most enchanting alleys and hidden passages
  • Small group ensures personal attention

What's Included

  • Alleyways & Historic Sites Guided Walking Tour of Charleston
  • Small-Group for a more personalized experience
  • Go "off the beaten path" and explore the history and beauty of Charleston's enchanting alleyways
  • Professional and Licensed Local Guide
  • Learn about the history and events that shaped Charleston
  • Explore several alleys and popular points of interest like Rainbow Row
  • Stroll through the quaint and charming streets of the historic district
  • Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 122 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA

    Please meet your tour guide on the North side of the Old Exchange Building where the benches are.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

This guided, narrated, educational tour of historic Charleston, South Carolina begins at the north side of the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, a colonial building with a 300-year history featuring pirates, patriots and presidents alike, located at 122 East Bay Street.

Visit the city’s oftentimes forgotten alleys and hidden passages that barely pass for streets at all. See points of interest like Rainbow Row, the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States, the Heyward-Washington House museum and much more, including St. Philip's Episcopal Church.

Learn about Revolutionary and Civil War facts and anecdotes while you explore. End your tour near the starting point.
1

Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

2

South of Broad

30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

3

Rainbow Row

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

4

French Quarter

30 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

5

Philadelphia Alley

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Water bottle recommended
  • Comfortable shoes recommended
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 13 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9
based on 2,604 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Sort by: Most insightful

Great way to spend a few hours in Charleston

Michael_S, Jul 2026
Fantastic tour. Our guide, Duggar, was great. He definitely made the tour better . Would certainly recommend this tour

Entertaining and informative full 2 hours

Carol_L, Jul 2026
Evans was a great guide. He was funny, informative and kept the group of 13 moving at a good pace. It was a typically hot mid 90s July day but no one left the tour early…it was too good. Evans, a native Charlestonian, packed a look of info into this 2 hour tour and, at the end, gave us a great info on other sites in the city. Highly recommend.

It was definitely a great...

Carolyn_W, Jul 2026
It was definitely a great way to learn something about Charleston history Evan was extremely knowledgeable and made it enjoyably interesting

We enjoyed our walking...

Scott_M, Jul 2026
We enjoyed our walking tour. We learned lots of history and enjoyed all the architecture & other historical details & information!

This was our first time...

Glenn_P, Jul 2026
This was our first time to Charleston and this tour helped us learn about the history in an up close and personal way. The tour guide Evans, a native was very knowledgeable and kept everything very interesting. Highly recommend taking this tour with him.

Fun walk through old Charleston

Don_C, Jul 2026
Great experience to learn more about Charleston. Our guide was terrific and engaging. Highly recommended.

Alley ways with Mark

Susan_S, Jul 2026
It was a great walking tour, learned a lot about the history of Charleston. Beautiful homes, churches and interesting alley ways! Mark was a fantastic tour guide, fun and informative!! Also he recommended 82 Queen for shrimp and grits!! We went there and it was delicious!!

What a fabulous tour!...

dana_r, Jul 2026
What a fabulous tour! Bruce, a 7th generation local, had the best stories and insights and we really loved having an insider view of Charleston. Would highly recommend this tour!

Top Rating is Deserved

Katie_A, Jul 2026
Evans B was fantastic. I was afraid our teens might be bored (even though this was 100% the tour I wanted to take) but they all thoroughly enjoyed it. Five stars.

Incredible historical knowledge!

Jennifer_C, Jul 2026
Had a great two hour walking tour with Mark. He was entertaining and was very passionate about Charleston. He was a history buff and we really enjoyed the stories he shared with us. We learned a lot. It was hot and humid on the day of our tour but Mark did his best to find shade for us as we walked down streets and passageways.

Evans Burd was extremely...

pamhawesph, Jul 2026
Evans Burd was extremely knowledgeable about Charleston and we thoroughly enjoyed all the facts we heard.

Walking tour of Charleston

millie_m, Jul 2026
It’s a must do! Learned so much in 2 hours. It was an easy walk as we explored alleyways and neighborhoods. Our guide, Duggar, was very knowledgeable and interesting.

Best Tour in Charleston

Olivia_D, Jul 2026
Wonderful tour with knowledge of people and places that are overlooked on typical tours! I enjoyed learning about pivotal figures of Charleston that are not mentioned in the general overview of the city.

Hidden Alleyways is a MUST!

Hillarie_V, Jul 2026
David was a fabulous guide! Such a great tour with so much history! Photo ops galore! Beautiful walk!

I enjoyed this tour so...

Erin_D, Jun 2026
I enjoyed this tour so much! Evans, a Charleston native, was a fantastic tour guide. He was so knowledgeable about Charleston history, architecture, people, and plants. This was my favorite thing that we did in Charleston. I highly recommend this tour!

Jim was knowledgeable and...

Madison_P, Jun 2026
Jim was knowledgeable and funny kept us interested in learning more. Made sure to take a bathroom break during the half way point.

Best start to our weekend in Charleston

Amy_L, Jun 2026
Duggar was the best guide. He told us a lot about the history of Charleston and interesting facts about everywhere we walked. Duggar seemed to know everyone we passed on the street.

“Coach” made the tour...

Melanie_L, Jun 2026
“Coach” made the tour wonderful! He was engaging and tried to keep us in the shade. Great information and stories.

Worth every penny

Sonali_B, Jun 2026
Best experience in Charleston. Our guide was informative, funny, and engaging. I wish he could guide us in other cities, as well

Knowledgeable guide

Sabrina_R, Jun 2026
Guide was very knowledgeable about Charleston history and wasn't watching clock. Happy to answer questions and spend time in conversation.

Alley ways tour

Kelly_K, Jun 2026
Dennis our tour guide made the experience fun and he was super knowledgeable, we learned a lot. The tour hit some very interesting places.

Make time for this tour!!

Karla_H, Jun 2026
A fantastic tour with such great information. I loved learning about the history of Charleston. It was well laid out and very entertaining.

Excellent tour of Charleston

Jennifer_G, Jun 2026
Great tour and concise information on the city. Our guide was very knowledgeable. Definitely wear comfortable shoes! Wear bug spray in the summer months.

Fantastic tour! We loved...

Colin_B, Jun 2026
Fantastic tour! We loved the “off the beaten path” nature of the tour as a great way to experience Charleston history. Paul was so incredibly knowledgeable and added to the experience.

Highly recommend this tour!

Diane_J, Jun 2026
We really enjoyed Mike on this tour! He was knowledgeable and entertaining and gave us history, plant, and cultural information! It was also nice to be hearing from a true native of Charleston!

Our guide is a native of...

Jennifer_R, Jun 2026
Our guide is a native of Charlestown and if was clear that he loves his city and was excited to share it with us.

Check out other Tours before this one!

Charles_S, Jun 2026
This tour was educational about the history of Charleston, but I believe we only walked through two alleyways as I expected more concentration on alleyways by the title of this tour. Jim Brain was the tour guide, and he was pleasant but a no nonsense guide who was slightly difficult to follow because he meandered all over the place, including walking in the road part of the time. Jim was nice but regimented in his approach to this tour. My wife and I enjoyed better tours during our stay in Charleston.

Loved seeing all the...

Marlana_S, Jun 2026
Loved seeing all the historical sites and tour guide was very knowledgeable. The walk was through alleyways that really showed you the hidden areas.

Was excellent experience....

John_S, Jun 2026
Was excellent experience. Captain is super knowledgeable and gave amazing insight to the area and hidden gems

Bruce KNOWS Charleston!

Leslie_A, Jun 2026
Bruce was our tour guide and he was hands down the best! He truly knows EVERYTHING about Charleston. He grew up there and to see Charleston through his eyes was a terrific experience.

From $34.00

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 19 days in advance.

Compare Similar Experiences

1 / 3
Current
Hidden Alleyways and Historic Sites Small-Group Walking Tour


2 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$34.00
Small Group Historic Charleston walking Tour


1 hour 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$47.00
Real Hauntings of Charleston! (Small Group Ghost Tour)


1 hour 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$35.00